Downtown neighborhood perfect fit

December 31, 2009

“We moved to this area from Washington, D.C., in 2001. We flew in three or four times to look at houses. It seems the real estate agents always take people to Granger. We finally got through to her that we wanted an older home in the downtown area. “We drove through this neighborhood on our own, then targeted it in our search. This house had a lot of things we liked; a lot of work had been done in the house before. The woodwork had been stripped, it had central air, a huge two-car garage and a finished attic, which has made a great teenage room. “We had all the wood floors done. I like the front stairway and all the pocket doors. I have a large family and they all came for Christmas last year. We closed some pocket doors and comfortably slept 14 people, and people had some privacy. The house has four bedrooms, two full baths and two half baths. “When we moved in, we had two kids and everyone had their own room, plus we had an office. “The house was built, we think, in 1898. Someone had sided it with aluminum siding, although it was narrow. They had left the original trim work exposed. We ripped off the siding and took it back to the original wood. “Half of the backyard was concrete so we got rid of most of it, made a larger yard and put in a smaller driveway. “We are very happy here. We like the neighborhood; we like the proximity to (University of Notre Dame) campus and we like to walk downtown. We like being close to Leeper Park and enjoy using the new river walk. We’ve been very happy with the South Bend schools. We’re still trying to learn about the history of the house. I met a woman at a party once who said she got engaged in our parlor.” Mary Ann McDowell Becky Emmons is always on the lookout for houses that appear to be loved; don’t be surprised if she knocks on your front door. She also appreciates suggestions from readers. If you love your house, tell us why. Contact her at the South Bend Tribune, 225 W. Colfax Ave., South Bend, IN 46626; (574) 235-6480; e-mail: bemmons@sbtinfo.com.